Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates in general to materials of use in catalytic converters, and more specifically, to catalyst structures of use in three-way catalytic (TWC) converters.
Background Information
Current automotive catalysts largely depend on platinum group metals (e.g. Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium) in order to convert vehicle emissions to less noxious substances. However, the supply of said metals is limited even as automobile production increases as a larger portion of the world population adopts motorized vehicles for personal transport. Additionally, environmental concerns have led to ever more stringent NOx, CO, hydrocarbon, and particulate emission regulations being implemented in countries worldwide. Furthermore, a number of automakers are adopting technologies that reduce engine exhaust temperatures to improve thermal efficiencies and particle emissions, resulting in more difficult conditions in which catalysts operate.
As such, there is a continuing need for catalysts able to provide better catalytic performance while maintaining reasonable use of catalytic materials.